SUNDAY DRIVE
Why now: Rising lake levels, a rich aquatic food chain and scads of small striped bass on the bite make the next month a chance for best-of-the-year fishing at Los Vaqueros Reservoir. For lakes with stripers, October is always the best.
Location: The lake is the centerpiece of a 19,300-acre watershed property, nestled in the golden valleys of remote Contra Costa County northeast of Livermore.
The lake: Los Vaqueros is the biggest lake in the Bay Area, and with the new dam, is 76 percent full and now rising with inflows from the delta. Water temperature is 69 degrees, good
clarity. Fishing: For two weeks and counting, many striped bass are being caught along the shore and at the pier near the marina. For bait, most anglers are using shad or anchovies cut into chunks.
Raise the bar: For a chance at a wild day, rent a boat and cruise around, trolling and looking for surface boils. When you hook a fish or sight a swirl, stop and then cast to the school with a Hair Raiser-style jig or WormTail jig, or flyfish with a large, silver shad-type streamer. High water clarity means light, lowvisibility line/leader is a must.
Derby/clinic/info: A striped bass fishing derby starts this weekend. The tackle shop at the marina occasionally hosts free fishing clinics, and staff is usually on hand that can answer all fishing questions. The rules: 18-inch size limit, two-fish limit. It’s common to have to weed through many small fish for an elusive keeper, but in a hot bite, action trumps trophies.
Boat rentals: The electric motors look like turbo outboards. They move the boats fast enough to make the old-style transom-mount motors obsolete. Rates: 16-foot boat with electric motor, $25 per hour, $50 for half day, $70 for full day, others available; 50 percent discounts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays
and Thursdays; no private boats.
Lake records: 45.2-pound striped bass; 30.31-pound catfish; 16.42-pound rainbow trout, 12-pound largemouth bass; 6.2-pound salmon.
Entry/fishing permits: $6 per vehicle (discounts for seniors, county residents); $5 per person fishing permits. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until time change.
Contacts: Los Vaqueros Marina, (925) 371-2628; watershed information, www.ccwater.com/ losvaqueros; fishing report, www.ccwater.com/149/Fishing. HOW TO GET THERE South Gate/Marina: From San Francisco, take I-80 east over Bay Bridge to the split with I-580. Bear right on 580 and drive 24.5 miles (stay left) and then continue 9 miles (still 580) to Livermore and continue 2 miles east (still 580) to the exit for Vasco Road. Take that exit (cloverleaf) to Vasco Road and drive north 4.4 miles (into the hills) to Los Vaqueros Road (at the crest). Turn left and drive 0.8 miles to North Vasco Road. Continue 2.6 miles to South Gate entrance station and beyond to marina.
Distances: 12 miles from Livermore, 20 miles from Dublin, 37 miles from Walnut Creek, 50 miles from San Mateo, 51 miles from San Jose, 54 miles from San Francisco, 64 miles from San Rafael.